There was a ton of action going on at the P. Mauriat booth during the NAMM Show 2024. Despite that, I still had the privilege of speaking with Jeremiah True, Brand Manager at P. Mauriat, who is a really special guy. Jeremiah True is a versatile woodwind performer proficient in all saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and bassoon. With a rich background spanning orchestral, jazz, theatre pits, and rock 'n roll, he brings extensive experience to every performance. Recently, he concluded a...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Teeters and Tyler Rogers of Claude Lakey Woodwinds at the NAMM Show 2024 to discuss their amazing saxophone mouthpieces. For over fifty years, Claude Lakey's enduring legacy has thrived within the company he established, evolving from its modest inception in a corner of a music shop in 1962 to its esteemed stature today. Today, as a family-owned enterprise, the company continues Lakey's tradition, offering premium, American-made...

Victory Musical Instruments remains the top choice for musicians and dealers worldwide due to its commitment to excellence. Offering exceptional sound quality, precise intonation, and improved mechanisms, Victory Instruments are designed with musicians' needs in mind. These wind instruments, prized by musicians globally, stand out for their superb craftsmanship and unique design. Driven by a passion for music and a commitment to excellence, Victory Musical Instruments strives to deliver...

Established in 1919 by Jesse James Babbitt, the JJ Babbitt Company, Inc. is the industry's oldest mouthpiece manufacturer for clarinets and saxophones. Still family-owned, it's now led by Steve and Debbie Rorie and remains rooted in Elkhart, Indiana. Based in Elkhart, Indiana, formerly hailed as "The Band Instrument Capital of the World," the JJ Babbitt Company has crafted millions of mouthpieces over its century-plus history. It holds the title of the world's leading producer of woodwind...

Silverstein Works is an accessories company committed to excellence in the realm of music.  They specialize in researching and developing premium-quality products, aiming to set the highest standard in performance and usability for musicians. During this year's NAMM Show, I had the opportunity to speak with Calvin Son, President and Director of Artist Relationships at Silverstein Works, about their new Saxophone Mouthpieces and Reeds, which I am very excited to showcase. In this episode,...

Saxophonist, flutist, and educator Sharel Cassity is a standout in New York and Chicago jazz circles. Named the 2023 "Rising Star Alto Saxophone" and featured on Downbeat Magazine's cover, she's graced TV shows like Today, Good Morning America, and The Colbert Show. Honored in the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Sharel's also received the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award. Sharel's collaborated with Grammy winners like Jennifer Hudson, Natalie Merchant, and Aretha Franklin, plus artists like...

Born in Detroit, Rick Margitza's musical journey began with classical saxophone training under Donald Sinta at the University of Michigan. He also studied jazz with notable mentors like Sonny Stitt and Michael Brecker. Graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans, Margitza's musical style was deeply influenced by the city's rich cultural tapestry. Relocating to New York in 1989 marked a significant chapter in Margitza's career. Collaborating with legends like McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis,...

I am consistently thrilled to visit the Theo Wanne booth at every NAMM Show, as they invariably unveil exciting new products. During the NAMM Show 2024, I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Ambrose, the Chief Machinist, and Thomas Harris about the latest Theo Wanne saxophone mouthpieces. Theo is considered the world’s foremost expert on the design and manufacturing of saxophone mouthpieces. As a child Theo was a traditional apprentice designing and building professional bicycle frames by...

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Kortschot from Legere Reeds at the 2022 NAMM Show, where he showcased some truly remarkable reeds. It was delightful to reconnect with him at the 2024 NAMM Show, where Legere unveiled their latest innovation, the Frech Cut reeds. Légère Reeds Ltd. was founded in 1998 by Dr. Guy Légère and Dr. Mark Kortschot, driven by Dr. Légère's quest for a reed that matched the performance of moist cane without its typical drawbacks. After numerous trials, the first...

Susanne Alt, a versatile artist from Amsterdam, excels in saxophone, composition, DJing, and production. Born in 1978 in Würzburg, Germany, Alt showed early promise, winning the Siemens Prize for young talent in classical saxophone during her formative years at the Meistersinger-Konservatorium Nuremberg. Alt's musical journey continued as she pursued jazz saxophone studies in the Netherlands, honing her skills at conservatories in Hilversum and Amsterdam. Her dedication led her to further...

The EMEO, the pioneering digital practice horn for saxophonists, has expanded its offerings to include mouthpieces crafted from FDA-approved dental material and solid silver. Mouthpieces showcased at the NAMM Show 2024 are currently accessible for alto and tenor saxophones, as well as clarinets. We talked about: How EMEO is using FDA-approved dental material Why their solid silver mouthpiece is very interesting acoustically How to get more info on the EMEO mouthpieces You can find...

Founded by Lars Hueseler and a group of enthusiasts in late 2007, Forestone emerged determined to revolutionize the reed industry by overcoming the limitations of traditional cane and plastic reeds.  Led by Kazunori, a former manager at Japan's leading woodwind distributor Kawai, they devised a groundbreaking material formula: a blend of bamboo and PP. This innovative combination delivered the rich tones of wood with unmatched consistency through injection molding. Forestone was the first...

JodyJazz crafts top-tier saxophone mouthpieces with patented designs and innovative manufacturing techniques. Favored by renowned saxophonists worldwide, each piece is meticulously hand-crafted in the USA, meeting the highest standards. Founder Jody Espina, a distinguished saxophonist, recognized the crucial role mouthpiece design plays in sound and technique. His commitment to catering to students and professionals alike led to the development of exceptional mouthpieces, embodying his...

Marca's New Cane & Synthetic Unic Reeds blend the sonic richness of traditional cane with the durability of synthetic fibers, featuring a pioneering composition of 95% cane and 5% synthetic material, offering a potential 6-month lifespan while preserving stability and humidity control, and treated like conventional cane reeds, available for saxophones and clarinets—truly a unique innovation that left me unable to resist remarking on its exceptional nature! For over 60 years, Marca has...

Saxophonist Educator and Composer, Dr. Woody Witt, is a Professor of Music at Houston Community College and is the Instructor of Saxophone at the University of Houston Moores School of Music.  He got his Masters degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, where he taught saxophone and jazz methods. As a jazz artist, Woody has had the opportunity to perform and record with Randy Brecker, Billy Hart, David Kikoski, and Tim Hagans among countless others. In Fall 2023, Witt...

Sylvain Carton, originally from France, is a multi-instrumentalist (woodwinds, guitars) and composer currently residing in Los Angeles. He has recorded and performed for numerous groups, including Aly and Aj, Beats Antique, Tenacious D, and Lord Huron, among others. Sylvain is a composer and producer, crafting music for films, commercials, documentaries, and various other mediums. His big band compositions have earned him a prestigious "Subito" grant from the American Composer's Forum. In...

At 22 years old, Austin Gatus has had many accomplishments in his young career.  Austin has performed with Dave Koz locally here in Los Angeles, as well as on the Dave Koz Jazz Cruises to Europe and Alaska. He sat in with the Average White Band a couple of times on a recent tour, and was a featured artist with Kenny G with the Orange County Symphony and San Diego Symphony. In a recent appearance, Austin joined Harry Style’s band as part of the horn section headlining Coachella Austin, a...

Emerging from their lively Kent base in the UK, TJ saxophones had their beginnings in the early 1990s. Over the years, these instruments have transformed into a globally respected brand, celebrated for their excellence in Student, Step-up, and Professional horns. Learn more about these amazing saxophones in this episode from the NAMM Show 2024, featuring my conversation with Sandro Massullo.  We talked about: 🎷 The New Intermediate Saxophone Models, EVO 🎷 New Intermediate EVO Tenor Sax 🎷...

Pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and conductor - whatever it is Gordon Goodwin touches, it’s all about his love of music. Gordon was born in Wichita, Kansas, and Goodwin’s parents moved to Southern California when Goodwin was four. He completed his formal music education at Cal State University-Northridge, and began working as a live performer at Disneyland. In 1999, Gordon founded the Big Phat Band for what he thought would be a single performance at his alma mater Cal State at...

For the second time, we are featuring New York-based saxophonist and composer Sam Newsome on this episode. Sam Newsome often works in the medium of solo saxophone, and has released several critically acclaimed solo saxophone CDs. Since we last spoke to Sam in episode 106 in 2021, he has won the Soprano Saxophone category in the 15th Annual International Critics Poll, been nominated in 2023 for the SOPRANO SAXOPHONIST OF THE YEAR by the Jazz Journalist Awards. In addition to his solo work,...

In this episode, we are featuring one of the Pop/Rock world’s most recognizable saxophonists, John Helliwell. If you’ve ever heard The Logical Song, or Take the Long Way Home, Give a Little Bit, or It’s Raining Again by Supertramp, you’ve heard saxophonist and woodwinds specialist, John Helliwell. Born in West Yorkshire, England, John’s first instrument was the clarinet. After hearing Sidney Bechet and Cannonball Adderley, he saved up his money to buy an alto saxophone at age 15, and never...

A native of New Orleans, the birthplace of America’s music, Victor Goines is an accomplished composer, musician, and educator.   He serves as the president and chief executive officer of Jazz St. Louis.  In 2016, his composition Untamed Elegance, a tribute to the Jazz Age, was performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Other commissions include Suite for Bird for the Music Institute of Chicago, Crescent City for JALC, and Benny: Then, Now, Forever for the Louis Armstrong...

Everything Saxophone Podcast Host, Donna Schwartz, interviewed New Orleans Saxophonist, Jason Mingledorff, for Episode 190.   We spoke about: What made Jason want to pursue improvised music How he met Sax Gordon How Jason taught himself how to listen A Blues tune that’s a masterclass in Blues soloing Why we transcribe and how to do it Jason’s resource for learning tunes & a tip from Jason to appreciate Standards What defines New Orleans saxophone style Jason’s new album, Start It...

This is a Bonus episode! (This is the type of Bonus content that Patrons get on a regular basis. For more info on becoming a Patron, Click Here) There was so much positive feedback from our 2 previous episodes with Pedro Eustache (episodes 187 & 188), we decided to add a 3rd episode. In this Bonus episode with the world-class woodwind specialist, Pedro Eustache, we wound up talking about:    How he transports all his instruments when performing with Hans Zimmer How Pedro creates...